The FIFA Arab Cup (Arabic: كأس العرب, romanized: Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or Arab Cup, is an international association football competition organized by FIFA. It is held every four years with the participation of senior men's national teams of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA), the governing body for countries in the Arab world.[1] The current champion is Algeria, which won its first title at the 2021 tournament in Qatar.
Organising body | UAFA (1985–2012) FIFA (2021–present) |
---|---|
Founded | 1963 |
Region | Arab world |
Number of teams | 16 (finals) |
Current champions | |
Most successful team(s) | |
Website | fifa.com/arabcup |
The championship's inaugural edition was in 1963, held in Lebanon, which was won by Tunisia. After having been played in 1964 and 1966, the Arab Cup was halted for almost 20 years, before being contested in 1985. The tournament was played five more times until 2012, the last competition organized by the UAFA. The 2021 edition was the first organized by FIFA.
The ten Arab Cup tournaments have been won by six national teams. Iraq have won four times; the other Arab Cup winners are Saudi Arabia, with two titles; Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and inaugural winner Tunisia, with one title each.
Seven countries have hosted the Arab Cup. Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have each hosted twice, while Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Syria have each hosted once. All Arab Cups have been held in Asia.
History
editThe initial idea for the conception of an Arab Cup came in 1957 from Lebanese journalist Nassif Majdalani and the Secretary General of the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) Izzat Al Turk.[2][3] In 1962, the LFA called for the formal establishment of the tournament through their president Georges Dabbas, who organised a general Arab assembly for the formation of the Arab Cup.[4] The first Arab Cup was held in Beirut between April and May 1963, with the participation of five teams.[5]
During the 16-year hiatus between 1966 and 1982, the Arab Cup was de facto replaced by the Palestine Cup, which was held three times in the 1970s and then became a youth tournament after the return of the Arab Cup in the 1980s.[4][6] The 1992 Arab Cup was also organised as part of the 1992 Arab Games.[6]
The 2021 edition was the first edition to be organised by FIFA; the competition was renamed FIFA Arab Cup.[7][8] Following the 2021 final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that FIFA would continue to oversee future editions.[9] On 15 May 2024, FIFA announced that Qatar will host the tournament in 2025, 2029 and 2033, and the tournament will follow the principle of an invitational competition not included in the International Match Calendar.[10]
Results
edit- a.e.t.: after extra time
- p: after penalty shoot-out
- TBD: to be determined
- Notes
- ^ The 1992 edition organized as part of the 1992 Arab Games football tournament was also counted as a part of the Arab Cup.
- ^ No third place match was played.
Teams reaching the top four
editTeam | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi final | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 (1964, 1966*, 1985, 1988) | — | 1 (2012) | — | — | 5 | |
2 (1998, 2002) | 1 (1992) | 1 (1985*) | 1 (2012*) | — | 5 | |
1 (1963) | 1 (2021) | — | — | — | 2 | |
1 (1992) | — | 1 (1988) | 1 (2021) | — | 3 | |
1 (2012) | — | — | — | 1 (2002)[a] | 2 | |
1 (2021) | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
— | 3 (1963, 1966, 1988) | — | 1 (1992*) | — | 4 | |
— | 2 (1964, 2012) | 1 (1966) | — | — | 3 | |
— | 2 (1985, 2002) | — | — | — | 2 | |
— | 1 (1998*) | 1 (2021*) | 1 (1985) | — | 3 | |
— | — | 3 (1964*, 1992, 1998) | 1 (1963) | — | 4 | |
— | — | 1 (1963*) | 2 (1964, 1966) | — | 3 | |
— | — | — | 1 (1988*) | 1 (2002)[a] | 2 | |
— | — | — | 1 (1998) | — | 1 |
- * hosts
Best performances by confederations
edit
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Records and statistics
editComprehensive team results by tournament
edit- Legend
|
|
For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament are shown (in parentheses).
Team | 1963 (5) |
1964 (5) |
1966 (10) |
1985 (6) |
1988 (10) |
1992 (6) |
1998 (12) |
2002 (10) |
2012 (11) |
2021 (16) |
2025 (...) |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
× | × | × | × | GS | × | GS | × | × | 1st | 3 | ||
× | × | GS | 2nd | GS | × | × | 2nd | GS | GS | 6 | ||
× | × | × | × | 3rd | 1st | GS | × | GS | 4th | 5 | ||
× | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | × | × | × | 3rd | GS | 6 | ||
GS | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | GS | SF | × | QF | 9 | ||
4th | 3rd | GS | × | GS | 3rd | 3rd | GS | GS | • | 8 | ||
3rd | 4th | 4th | × | GS | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 8 | ||
× | 2nd | 3rd | × | × | × | GS | × | 2nd | • | 4 | ||
× | × | × | GS | • | × | × | × | × | GS | 2 | ||
× | × | × | × | × | × | GS | SF | 1st | QF | 4 | ||
× | × | GS | × | × | × | × | × | × | QF | 2 | ||
× | × | GS | × | × | GS | • | GS | GS | GS | 5 | ||
× | × | × | 4th | × | × | 2nd | × | × | 3rd | Q | 4 | |
× | × | × | 3rd | GS | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 4th | GS | 7 | ||
× | × | × | • | × | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4 | ||
2nd | × | 2nd | × | 2nd | 4th | GS | GS | × | GS | 7 | ||
1st | × | × | × | GS | × | × | × | × | 2nd | 3 | ||
× | × | × | × | × | × | 4th | × | × | QF | 2 | ||
× | × | GS | × | × | × | × | GS | GS | • | 3 | ||
Team | 1963 (5) |
1964 (5) |
1966 (10) |
1985 (6) |
1988 (10) |
1992 (6) |
1998 (12) |
2002 (10) |
2012 (11) |
2021 (16) |
2025 (...) |
Total |
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ نتائج اجتماع الجمعية العمومية غير العادي واجتماع اللجنة التنفيذية للاتحاد العربي لكرة القدم [The results of the General Meeting of UAFA's Executive Committee]. UAFA (in Arabic). 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "قبل انطلاقها.. ماذا يخبرنا التاريخ عن بطولة "كأس العرب"؟". Sky News Arabia. Saber Hussam-Eddin. 28 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "كأس العرب: لبنان موطن الفكرة لم يحقق أي انجاز". france24. 28 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ a b موسوعة كرة القدم العراقية من الالف الى الياء ... بطولة كأس العرب [Encyclopedia of Iraqi football from A to Z ... Arab Cup Championship]. Kooora.com (in Arabic). 18 September 2005. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ Morrison, Neil. "Arab Cup 1963 Details". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ a b Abboud, John; Nygård, Jostein; Qayed, Mohammed. "Arab Cup". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "الاتحاد العربي" يعلن عن مسابقاته للموسم القادم [The "Arab Union" announces its competitions for the next season]. UAFA (in Arabic). 25 April 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup 2021 – Teams – Lebanon". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "Gianni Infantino: FIFA Arab Cup set to continue". FIFA.com. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "Key tournament decisions made by FIFA Council". FIFA.com. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "UAFA : 44 millions dollars pour la relance des compétitions". ES Tunis media site. TAP. 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
External links
edit- Official website
- Arab Cup at the RSSSF